CASTLEGAR NEWS Your Horoscope For the Week with Michael O’Connor inside the West Kootenay Advertiser
Vol.10 • Issue 6
Breaking news at castlegarnews.com
Thursday, February 7 • 2013
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It’s been more than half a year since WestJet announced the imminent purchase of more than 40 Bombardier turboprop aircraft and the creation of a regional service to be known as WestJet Encore. Expressions of interest in WestJet service were solicited by the airline and dozens of communities responded, making formal presentations in Calgary last June. Announcement day is drawing closer as a planned late January statement date was pushed back. Communities across the country have eagerly awaited a decision on who can expect WestJet Encore service. Representing the West Kootenays, a Castlegar contingent felt good about it’s
pitch following the effort and Mayor Lawrence Chernoff is every bit as upbeat now as he was late last spring. “I’m still optimistic about it,” said Chernoff on Jan. 31.
Mayor Lawrence Chernoff: “I just think it’s working in a good direction.” File photo
The mayor hinted that there may have been recent, encouraging signs relating to whether Castlegar’s name is among those cities whose names are read when the news is broken. “I just think it’s working in a good direction,” he said.
Question of whether Castlegar and area will be served in future by WestJet remains up-in-the-air. The answer, however, is expected this month. flickr.com
“It’s my understanding that WestJet executives were in the community in the last couple of days, either Rossland or Nelson… in the area.” Chernoff did not indicate any knowledge of who the executives were, or exactly what the purpose of their visit may have been. WestJet media rep-
resentative Robert Palmer, in an email, told the Castlegar News on Jan. 31 he had been unaware of any such group visiting the West Kootenays over this period. Back in June an excited Chernoff had described how towns and cities from Pacific coast to Atlantic coast had taken their 25-minute turns in
ORGANIC
for
telling WestJet why they’d be good candidates for WestJet Encore service. His enthusiasm does not appear to have waned. “I’m still positive,” says the Castlegar mayor. “No doubt about it. I’m extremely hopeful.” The mayor also hinted at the possibility of Alaska Airlines service for Castlegar.
Job action More than 200 community living workers in the Kootenays and Salmon Arm went on strike starting on Thursday, January 31, including these photographed on Columbia Ave. in Castlegar.
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While the identity of the successful applicants remains a mystery for the time being, according to WestJet, the wait will be over soon. “We haven’t made the date public,” Palmer’s email concluded, “but it will be sometime in February via news release early in the morning.”
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